Alberto Contador believes Tadej Pogacar can win Giro-Tour double: "The fundamental piece in this equation will be to see how Vingegaard arrives at the Tour"
Cycling
It is not surprising to say that Alberto Contador is completely in love with Tadej Pogacar. The Spaniard was a very offensive cyclist and logically loves the Slovenian's riding style as well as his attempt to win the Giro d'Italia and the Tour de France in the same year, something no one has done since Marco Pantani did it in 1998 - whilst 'El Pistolero' did try throughout his career.
Thus, in a recent interview with the newspaper AS, the current Eurosport analyst commented that he believes it is possible for Pogi to win his third yellow jersey this year, but that the key will be the physical condition of his great rival Jonas Vingegaard:
"It's not easy, but I see it as viable. The fundamental piece in this equation will be to see how Vingegaard arrives at the Tour. If he's on the start line, it's because he sees himself with a chance to fight, at the very least, for the win. Maybe not with the guarantee of other years, but simply being in Florence will mean that for Tadej it won't be a walkover like it was in the Giro."
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Contador himself attempted the Giro-Tour double in 2011 and 2015, but things didn't work out as he had hoped. He talks about the difficulty he had in winning the Corsa Rosa and the difference between his team at the time and the UAE's big team that the Slovenian has at his disposal:
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"Let's see, actually my most feasible attempt was in 2015. I think I made a mistake and raced quite a bit before the Giro. Right after finishing the Giro I went to a high-altitude training camp, and I think that slowed down my recovery. Before the start of the Tour, I realized I wasn't recovered (he finished fifth). It was a very hard Giro for me, because Astana was very strong. I was attacked by Fabio Aru, Mikel Landa... plus I was already 32 years old. Tadej is going to be younger (25). The strongest team in the Giro was his and probably will be in the Tour as well. He has a lot of ingredients to be able to do it."
He makes it very clear that he loves Tadej Pogacar's cannibalistic spirit:
"We are in competition and professional sport. Real Madrid or Red Bull (F1, ed.) are not asked to let themselves win. If you have legs you have to take advantage of it, because then this life is very short. Tadej's crazy things are what I liked to do."
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Rúben SilvaEditor-in-Chief
A founding contributor to CyclingUpToDate since its launch in January 2022, Ruben Silva has played a central role in shaping the site’s editorial direction and long-term growth. Before joining the project, he built his experience through independent blogging at Echelons Hub and by producing race previews for Ciclismo Internacional, developing a strong analytical voice rooted in daily engagement with professional cycling.
Beyond editorial work, he has been closely involved in the expansion and coordination of CyclingUpToDate’s wider network, helping establish and support sister platforms across multiple languages. This includes ongoing collaboration with CiclismoAlDia (Spanish), CiclismoAtual (Portuguese), WielrennenUpToDate (Dutch), and RadsportAktuell (German), contributing to a shared editorial vision and consistent international coverage.
He also helps oversee editorial governance across the network, setting standards for accuracy and consistency and coordinating updates or corrections when needed.
Originally from the Porto metropolitan area in Portugal, he holds a bachelor’s degree in Geography. His path into cycling journalism was shaped not through formal media training, but through independent reporting, community engagement, and sustained on-the-ground involvement in the sport.
Over the course of his career, he has conducted approximately 100 interviews across road cycling and cyclocross, ranging from one-to-one conversations and online formats to press conferences and on-site pre- and post-race coverage. His interviews include leading riders, team managers, and prominent figures within cycling media: Tadej Pogacar, Jonas Vingegaard, Mathieu van der Poel, Primoz Roglic, Wout van Aert, Joao Almeida and Tom Pidcock; managers like Patrick Lefevere and Joxean Matxin; and YouTube personality Bryan Kennedy (BKXC)...
Within 18 months of launch, he helped grow CyclingUpToDate’s English-language platform into one of the most-read cycling news websites, built entirely from the ground up. As both a professional journalist and lifelong cycling enthusiast, his focus remains on delivering accurate, timely, and well-contextualized coverage.
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